Our Priority: Improve the health of Kentucky's children. Click here to learn more!
Our Priority: Assure that all Kentuckian's have access to high quality, affordable health care. Click here to learn more!
Our Priority: Improve the efficiency and effectiveness of health care for Kentuckians. Click here to learn more!
Our Priority: Make prevention a priority for Kentucky's health policies and programs. Click here to learn more!
Kentucky Voices: Promoting Better Health in the Commonwealth. A series of short videos from real Kentuckians - patients, advocates and providers - sharing their personal healthcare stories. Click here to watch videos!

KVH Supports State Effort to Implement Tobacco Free Schools

« Back

Jun 30th, 2011

KVH Supports State Effort to Implement Tobacco Free Schools

 

Kentucky Voices for Health released a statement today in support of efforts by the Kentucky Department of Education and the Kentucky Department of Public Health to implement tobacco free schools.  Kentucky Education Commissioner Dr. Terry Holiday and Public Health Commissioner Dr. William Hacker sent a letter on June 16 to all 174 local school superintendents in Kentucky urging school districts to adopt a Tobacco Free School Policy that prohibits tobacco use by students, employees and visitors.

 

KVH Executive Director Jodi Mitchell released the following statement in support of these efforts:

 

Statement from Kentucky Voices for Health Regarding Department of Education and Department of Public Health Call for 24/7 Tobacco Free Policies

 

Kentucky Voices for Health (KVH), a coalition of more than 250 organizations and individuals working to build a healthier Kentucky, supports the Department of Education and Department of Public Health joint effort to promote 24/7 tobacco free school policies. The future of our communities is cultivated in the halls of our educational institutions. When school systems promote healthy behavior, healthy lifestyle choices extend to the home and community around them. This is a critical starting point for improving the health of all Kentuckians.

 

KVH has established a set of Priorities to help advocate for improving Kentucky’s health policies and programs. Among the priorities are tobacco prevention and the promotion of smoke-free communities. Instituting 24/7 tobacco-free school policies is an important way to help prevent instances of smoking among our youth as well as engaging the community in reducing exposure to secondhand smoke. It is well understood that this is critical to preventing long-term illnesses caused by smoking such as lung disease and cancer.

 

From a worksite-wellness perspective, faculty and staff will also benefit from 24/7 tobacco-free school policies. Those who smoke will be incentivized to quit and the health of non-smokers will no longer be jeopardized by second-hand smoke. It is important that our school systems are tobacco-free all day, every day, in the classroom, on the field and when out in our communities.

 

When compared to other states, Kentucky all too often ranks near the bottom on most major health statistics. This is partly due to the highlevel of tobacco use in the state. In order change the landscape, we must stop ignoring poor health policies in our communities, particularly our educational institutions. By promoting 24/7 tobacco-free school policies, KVH is working to end the Commonwealth’s dependence on tobacco and providing a consumervoice to help build a healthier Kentucky.

 

We are pleased that the state initiatives are consistent with some of the KentuckyVoices for Health underlying priorities. That is why we are proud to support the Department of Education and Department of Public Health in their effort to promote 24/7 tobacco-free school policies.

 

For more information on the tobacco-free schools initiative, please visit http://www.site.kytobaccofreeschools.com/Home.html

 

 

 

« Back

View All »

Coalition Partners